1qt/lb w/ 14.5 lb Grain bill?

[mlager]

I'm doing an ESB and have been reading my "Designing Great Beers" book. It recommends for this style mashing with a water to grain ratio of 1qt/lb... My grain bill is 14.5 pounds which is obviously 14.5 quarts of water which is roughly 3.75 gallons. My question is whether or not that's to thick of a mash? I only have a sparge tank that can hold 5 gallons of water, and I'll be putting about 7 gallons into the boil kettle. Should I step up to 1.25qt/lb?

This leads me to my second question, what, if any, would be noticed in my beer or my wort if I mashed at 1qt/lb vs 1.25qt/lb, or any other ratio for that matter?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[cvstrat]

I'd probably step it up just to have to sparge less and to get a better flow on your sparge. the thicker mashes can end up slightly sweeter/maltier than thin mashes. But we're talking almost double the water/grain ratio that you're looking at. I would venture to say you'd not notice any difference between 1 and 1.25.

 

[Snafu]

+1 I'd do 1.25 qts/lb and maybe even an infused mashout to thin it some more esp if your batch sparging.